Incubator



Dc. 12, 1944. 5 KAZANTZEFF l 2,364,722

INCUBATOR Filed 061". 23, 1942 l f I Patented Dec. 12, 1944 John Stephen Kazantzeir, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Application October 23, 1942, Serial No. 463,128 In Canada October 28,-1941 8 Claims. ('Cl. 119"-/37) This invention relates to improvements in incubators.

An object of the present invention is the provision of an incubator in which an even temperature is maintained at all points. n

Another object is the provision of an incubator in which all the airis warmed therein and then distributed without unduly raising the temperature at any one point.

Another object is the provision of an incubator including improved means for humidifying'th'e air circulating therein.

A further object is the provision of novel means for heating the air circulating in an incubator.

A still further object is the provision of a de` vice of the nature described of very simple construction and which may be easily operated.

With these and other objects in view, the pres-` ent invention consists essentially of an incubator comprising a casing, a plurality of traysV arranged in stacks in the casing, the trays of each stack being spaced one above the other, an inner vertical passage between two stacks, vertical passages at the outer sides of the stacks, the spaces between the trays` of each stack communicating with the inner and outer passages at the sides thereof, a heater at the bottom of the casing, and means for directing air downwardly through the inner passage to the heater, said air rising in the outer passages and some of it being drawn through the spaces between the trays byv suction created by the downward movement of the air in the'inner passage, as more fully described in the following specication and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing,in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectiony through'the in,

cubator, n

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective View of the heater for the incubator, 4

Figure 3 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the incubator, and y Figure 4 is a reduced planY view of the humidier of the incubator.l y

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I is a casing in which a -plurality of trays II are arranged in stacks I2, the trays of each stack being spaced one above the other to form spaces I3 therebetween. An inner vertical passage I4 is formed between the stacks I2 centrally of the casing I0 and vertical' passages I5 are formed at the outer sides of the stacks between said ystacks and the walls of the casing the front face of each of the trays is supported in a vertical wall Illa.

The lowermost trays II are spaced from the bottom of the casing 'I0 to form an area I6 in which a humidifier I1 is located.v This humidier consists of a pan I8 mounted beneath the stacks II. This pan has an opening 20 in the bottom centrally thereof and a collar 2I surrounding said opening projects upwardly into the pan. The

opening 20 is located beneath the central passage A heater 22 isprovided beneathv the pan I8 and spaced above the bottom of the casingV I0. This heater consists of a case 23 having a heating element therein. In this example, the heating element comprises an electrical heating elementl 24 arranged in the case. An opening 25 is formed in the top of the case 23 centrally thereof beneath the opening 20 of the pan I8=and the central passage I4, while openings 26 are formed in the ends of the case adjacent the outer passages I5. If desired, an opening 2l may be formed in the bottom of the case beneath the opening 25. The openings 25, 26v and 21 are preferably covered by screening means 28. i y

An orice 30 is formed in the top of the casing IIJ over the central passage I4 and a fan 3I is positioned below said orifice; v,The fan 3I is mounted on a shaft 32l extending through the orifice 3U to a motor 33 mounted on the top of the casing. An inverted truncated cone 34 is suspended from the casing top byv straps 35, the lower end of said 4cone extending into the passage I4. The fan 3| is positioned inthe cone at its upper end. Screening means 36 covers the orifice 30.

Apertures 3l are formed in the top of the casing I0 over the outer passages I5. Suitable means is provided for controlling the amount of air passing through the apertures 31, such as, for example, shutters 38. v

In use, the eggs to be hatched are placed in the trays II. The fan 3I and the cone 34 direct air downwardly through the inner central passage I4 to the humidifier I'I and the heater 22. Some of this air is deflected across the, top of the panv I8 which is filled with water.v The rest of the air enters the case 23 through the opening 25 and some of it is directed horizontally around the heating element 24 and through the end openings 26. The remainder ofthe air passes through the bottom opening 2'I and movesV along the bottom of the casing I0. All the air from above the pan I8, from the case 23 and from below said case mixes and rises in the outer passages I5. The movement of the air downwardly through the central passage creates a suction which draws air from the passages I5 through the spaces I3 between the trays I I to warm the eggs thereon.

Theheater warms the water in the humidier control the temperature in the casing I0 and to y' regulate the amount of air to be recirculai-rerl through the casing.

The fan draws fresh air in vthrough theorilice 30 while air is also drawn over theupper end off the cone 34 from the sides of the c asing. rAddirf tional air from the sides of casing isdirected through the central passage by the sloping side of the cone. Warm air from the sides of the casingl preheats any fresh air dra-wn into the casing.. From the above, it willreadily be seen that an incubator .of simple construction has been provided in which an even temperature is maintained at all points and including improved and simple means for heating and humidifying the air circulating therein. 4 v. i Various modii'lcationsjmay be made l'in this invention without departing v:from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims, and -therefore the exact forms shown .are to b e taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is, desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are disclosed in the prior art or are .set forth in the ,accompanying claims. Y y

What .I claim as my invention is:

. 1-4 An :incubator comprising a casing, a plurality of trays arranged 'in stacks in the casing, the

' trays .of each :stack being spaced one above the other and above ythe casing bottom, a central ver-y tical passage between the stacks, ayertical passage between the'outer edge ofeach stack and the casing wall, the spacesbetween the trays of eachstack communicating with the central and outer passages, a. humidifier beneathv the stacks, means in .the humidifier for permitting air to pass therethrough, a heater beneath the humidier,

and means for .directing air .downwardly through the .central passage' and .the humidier to the heater, said air rising in the .outer passages and some of itbeing drawn through the spacesbe.- tween the trays by suction created by .the .downward movement Aof the air in the central passage..

`A2. An incubator.comprising a casing, a tpl-urality of trays arranged in stacks in the casing, the trays of each stack being spaced one'above the other'and above the .casing bottom, .a central verticaltpassage .between thestacks, avertical passage between the .outeredge .ofeach stack and the casing wall,.the spaces between .the trays of each .stack communicating withtth'e vcentral and outer passages, a waterpan beneath .the stacks, 'said pan haying'an opening therethrough beneath the central passage., a collar. in the pan v passage between the stacks, a vertical passage be tween the outer edge of each stack and the casing wall, the spaces between the trays of each stack communicating with thecentral and outer passages, a case beneath the stacks, a heating element in the case, an vopeningin the top of the case beneath the central passage, openings in each end of the case adjacent the outer passages, and means for directing air downwardly through the central passage and the openingV in 'the case top, `said air rising in the outer passages and some oi it being drawn through the spaces between the trays by suction created by the downward movement of the air in the central passage.

j 14;' An'incubatorcomprising a casing, a plurality "f of trays arranged in stack in the casing, the trays TCC w .of Aeach stack beingspacedt one above the other vand, above the casing bottom, a central vertical passage lbetween the stacks, a Vertical passage between the outer edge of each stack and the casing wall, thelspaceszbetween the-trays of each stack communicating with the centrall and Aouter passages, a Water pen beneath the stacks, said pan having an opening therethrough beneath the central passage, a collarfimthepan @1.0mm Said opening, a case beneath the pan, a heating element in `tbe .casa .an- .opening in the top of the case beneath the pan opening, openings in each end of the case adjacent the outer passages, and means for `directing vair ldownwardly through the central passage and the opening in the case top, said air rising in the outer passages and some oi it being drawn through the spaces'between the trays by suction -,created by the downward movement of the .air in the central passage- 5. An incubatorfcompr-isi-ng a casing, a plu ralitypof trays arranged instacks in thek casing, thev trays of .each .stack v.being spaced ,ene .above the `other and above the .casing bottom, a central vertical passage betweentne stacks. .a vertical passage between the outer edge of each stack `and the casing wall, the spaces between the trays of each stack communicating with the central `and outer passages, a water-panbeneath .the stacks, said panvhaving an opening therethrough beneath the A.central passage, a collar in the pan `around .said Opening, a case beneath `the pan, a heating element in the case, openings inthe topfand bottom of therese beneath the pan opening, .Openings each end "of `the ease adiaeent the cuter passagesJr screening .means .over the openings in the case, ,and means for directing air downwardly through the .central passage, the pan and the case, said air rising' inthe .outer passages and some of it being drawnthroiigh the, spaces be..-k

tween the trays by suction .created by the downward movementof the air in the central passage.

6. vAri incubator comprising ;a.casin g, a plurality of trays arranged in stacks .the-casing, .thetrays of each stack being spaced one above the other, a central vertical passage ybatWeen':thestacks., a vertical passage lbetween the-cuter-edae of .-each stack and the casing wall, the ,pacesbetween the trays ,of each stack ycomm11ilicating withthe .ecntral andcutergnassagesa hilmidiiierand-a beater at .the bottom 0f the casingmeaes for supplying fresh .air totti- 1e top ci the easing, afan-attire for of the casing over the cemtrelfpassesa e. in- Verted truncated cone suspended from .theeasing top kand iereiectingthe: central .passe-ee, said. fan and cone directingir {downwardly-Gbr ugh the central' passage-tet ehumidier and the and' Ysome of it being drawn .enen the spaces between the trays by suetionnreeted by the down-f ward movement of the ar in the central passage.

7. An incubator comprising a casing, a plurality of trays arranged in straight vertical stacks in the casing, the trays of each stack being spaced one above the other with the sides of the stacks substantially at righi-l angles to the bottom of the casing, the stacks being arranged to provide a central vertical passage between the stacks and an outer vertical passage between the outer edge of each stack and the casing wall, thespaces between the trays 0f each stack communicating with the central and outer passages, a humidier and a heater at the bottom of the casing, the humidifier including a water pan being supported above the bottom of the casing and below the lowermost trays of thestack in such a manner as to provide spaces for the circulation of air above and below the pan and at the side between the pan and the sides of the casing, and means for directing air downwardly through the central passage between the trays to the humidier and heater, whereby the air is free to rise in the outer passage while some of it is drawn through the spaces between the trays by suction created by the downward movement of the air in the central passage.

8. The incubator as claimed in claim 7 in which the front of each tray is supported in a vertical wall.

JOHN STEPHEN KAZANTZEFF. 

